Israeli Air Force marks graduation of first Haredi technicians
In a step towards integrating Orthodox men into military service, the Israeli Air Force held a graduation ceremony on Tuesday of its first course for Haredi technicians.
Haredi Air Force technicians at a ceremony marking the completion of training at the Ramat David Airbase on Dec. 3, 2024. Photo by IDF Spokesperson/TPS-IL
The 26 graduates who completed intensive training on the F-16 aircraft are now certified as Level A Technicians. They will be tasked with ensuring the operational readiness of fighter aircraft and weapons systems at the Air Force’s “Scorpion” Squadron (105) at the Ramat David air base near Haifa.
The course is part of a broader initiative to integrate young Haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces while maintaining their religious lifestyle. The training centre provides separate accommodations for men and women, kosher food and a synagogue.
“The Air Force’s missions require excellent, committed and motivated people throughout the organization. We are committed to making all the necessary adjustments to ensure the readiness of the force for its missions,” said Lt.-Col. Einav Uzan-Shemesh, head of the Air Force’s Mandate Planning and Resources Department.
Social debate over Haredi national service has become more heated in recent months. The Israel Defense Forces began making plans to draft yeshiva students after Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled in June that exemptions for the Haredi community were illegal.
The war against Hamas has stretched the army’s manpower needs, sharpening the national debate. The Press Service of Israel found that Haredi attitudes towards military service have softened since Hamas’s October 7 attacks. In September, the Border Police graduated its first class of Haredi recruits for a new unit.
Military service is compulsory for all Israeli citizens. However, Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, and the country’s leading rabbis agreed to a status quo that deferred military service for Haredi men studying in yeshivot, or religious institutions. At the time, no more than several hundred men were studying in yeshivot.
However, the Orthodox community has grown significantly since Israel’s founding. In January 2023, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported that Haredim are Israel’s fastest-growing community and projected it would constitute 16% of the population by the end of the decade. According to the Israel Democracy Institute, the number of yeshiva students exceeded 138,000 in 2021.
That demographic growth has fueled passionate debates about “sharing the burden” of military service, the status of religious study in a Jewish society, and Haredi integration.
